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This personal reflection is part of a series called Turning Points, in which writers explore what critical moments from this year might mean for the year ahead. You can read more by visiting the Turning Points series page.

Turning Point: The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, delayed by the coronavirus pandemic until 2021, provided an opening for important conversations about the pressures that athletes experience.

My dream was to defend my titles in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. I won gold in the womens 800-meter competition in both 2012 and 2016. I wanted to compete again in the Olympics and get one step closer to my goal of becoming the greatest female 800-meter runner of all time. But I didnt get to run in Tokyo. I am furious, sad and disappointed that I was denied the opportunity by a 2018 World Athletics ruling, based on a 2017 report that was recanted right after the Tokyo Games.

The 2018 ruling did not name me specifically, but I am the target. It said women naturally born with higher testosterone levels have an unfair competitive advantage over other female athletes. To be allowed to compete, I would have to take testosterone-reducing drugs. The news of the ruling shattered me. More than that, I felt indignant. As a woman, I should be in control of my own body. Why should I have to take hormone-altering substances just so I can compete in my chosen profession?

As the pinnacle of athletic achievement, the Olympics have pushed athletes to their physical and mental limits often at tremendous personal costs. The world expects athletes to make sacrifices to earn gold. There is such immense pressure that some may look for ways to gain any unfair edge over the competition. I did not succumb to this pressure. I know who I am, and Im not afraid to speak out about injustice not only for myself, but so that other athletes dont have to experience what happened to me.

Shortly after the Tokyo Games, the British Journal of Sports Medicine published a correction to the 2017 study that had persuaded World Athletics to ban me from competing. It said the findings about the effects that high testosterone levels in female athletes had on their performance levels were exploratory and could have been misleading by implying a causal inference. If the flaws in the study had been admitted before the Olympics, I could have been allowed to participate.

When I learned about the correction, my first words to my lawyers were, I told you so.

The courts are where I have to fight my battles now. Some of my lawyers have offered their services free of charge, but it has been a drain on my resources, and I will need support to continue the fight.

My first challenge against the World Athletics ruling came in June 2018, when I filed a request for appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, known as CAS, based in Lausanne, Switzerland. The following April, CAS handed down its ruling: I lost.

I next brought my case to the Swiss Supreme Court, which has the authority to overturn CAS decisions. In September 2020, the court refused to change the decision; it ruled only that the CAS decision did not violate fundamental and widely recognized Swiss principles of public order.

My lawyers said we had one more card up our sleeve: Challenge the Swiss ruling at the European Court of Human Rights. There the South African Human Rights Commission will support my stance as a concerned party. They submit that no adaptation, negation, nor self-abnegation is necessary. This means that the rules compelling me to take hormones to lower my natural testosterone levels and alter my natural state are an infringement on my human dignity. If we win at the European Court of Human Rights, this will further weaken the World Athletics case. Im encouraged to think I will finally get a proper hearing. My lawyers say the case will probably be heard in Strasbourg, France, in 2022.

Despite missing Tokyo, my head remains high. I am a Black South African. I was lucky to be born with a special talent. But without ambition, perseverance and faith in yourself, you will get nowhere. The many setbacks I have experienced have made me stronger; setbacks are part of what it takes to become a great athlete. I have also had to endure insults and humiliations from a world that very publicly questioned my identity. I know about maintaining dignity and hope in the face of oppression. My goal now is to win my legal case. For me, as a woman, as a human being fighting a cruel injustice, victory would be sweet, as sweet as any I have achieved on the track.

Caster Semenya, a South African 800-meter runner, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion.

See the original post:
Caster Semenya on Maintaining Dignity and Hope in the Face of Oppression - The New York Times

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Surfing's most prestigious prize turned into "TikTok circle jerk."

When the WSLs self-confessed biggest fan, @surfads, partly described the WSLs recent efforts as Turning a deadshit, dumbcunt but still unique sports outfit into a generic, compliant, corporate glory hole, I nodded in agreement and felt there wasnt a lot more to say.

Especially coming in so hot on the heels of The Ultimate Surferwhere a guy and gal got a place in WCT events by surfing in a pool and winning lifetime dream prizes like SUPs, I didnt think the WSL could make itself any more tacky and tawdry, or cheapen its product even more.

On reflection, thats bullshit.

It can, and it has.

When @surfads wrote his article, I commented that itd take far too long to unpack all thats wrong with the WSL right now, but that was a cop-out. I hate peanut gallery fuckwits who mock your efforts without offering any kind of explanation, thus, for that reason, I want to pinpoint a couple of glaring examples of the WSL clusterfuck sticking out like shit on Meghan Markles shoes.

This is part one.

@surfads bemoaned the lack of a Pipe contest to end the year, so what better place to start than Hawaii? Specifically, the Triple Crown of Surfing.

And, while the TCOS is run this year by Vans and Stab, the Vans TCOS official website says, This competition is sanctioned by the WSL, so thats good enough for me.

Billed for decades as the most prestigious title to win outside of being anointed surfings world champ, the Triple Crown of Surfing was always something that mattered in the surfing world.

Especially to the Hawaiians.

A list of Triple Crown winners since its inception in 1983 shows a whos who of surfing royalty.

Michael Ho, Derek Ho, Kong, Tom Carroll, Sunny, Kelly, Andy, Parko, John John, Gabe.

Its a mighty impressive list.

And why wouldnt it be, when you look at the historical format of the TCOS itself? Three contests, all in prime, big-wave spots where heavy waves explode on shallow reefs.

You had to be a fucking good surfer to win the whole shebang.

If we use a starting point in the contests as Round 64 for the top guys, to win a contest you gotta get through five heats against all the best surfers in the world, in some of the scariest, most intimidating waves in the world. No-one has ever won all three contests of the TCOS in a single year (I think), so lets just play a little game of averages for the fuck of it.

Lets say a surfers results over the three contests were final, quarters, quarters. Thatd get em pretty close to the gong most years. Starting from R64, that means our surfer would have got through eight or nine heats or so across three contests. Getting through that many heats in Hawaii against all the best guys in the world in big, dangerous, powerful conditions, including the locals who love nothing more than shitting on the outta town blow-ins, is fucking hard.

And thats why the list of TCOS champions includes eight world champions and multiple top three finishers like Julian Wilson and Gary Elkerton.

You win the TCOS and its a big fucking deal. Something that earns the respect of everyone in the surfing community, among them even the grumpiest, most begrudging old naysayers.

Well, it was.

Cause now, what used to be the prestigious TCOS is no more. Nuked, nixed, and fucking gutted. There are no contests involved anymore. None. No four-man heats. No two-man heats. No paddle battles. No local intimidation. No Wolfpak or Black Shorts. No interference calls. No Hawaiian underdogs. No buzzer beaters. No scoreboard pressure or commentators curses.

Nothin.

Why? Because The Triple Crown of Surfing is now a fully online digital contest.

(No relation to doctors sticking their fingers up your asshole.)

To compete in and win the Triple Crown of Surfing now you just gotta take a few videos of your surfing and then submit them online (dont forget to tag @vanstriplecrownofsurfing) and hope that the judges like your content. I aint making this up.

Out with the old, in with the hip and the new.

More than just a bit confused by this new turn of events, I tried to make some sense of it all. Big failure.

When I first went through the rules format the first thing that popped into my stupefied, spinning gogglehead revolved around the videos surfers have to submit. Half the tour surfers dont even have major sponsors, so I dont think its too much of a stretch to say that most of em dont have dedicated filmers following them around with the new $80,000 RED 8K video camera.

Exhibit A. Connor OLeary, ex WQS overall winner, WCT Rookie of the Year, and winner of the most recent Challenger Series event, who just requalified for next years CT tour. Riding a pure white, stickerless board.

You reckon the video editors at Quiksilver are just putting the finishing touches on his signature movie as we speak? Whats that? They dropped him?

Taking it a step further, what happens if poor old 86 ranked, unsponno surfer gets the wave of the winter out Pipe in the dark, dying light of an evening and all hes got to show for it is his girlfriends grainy iPhone vid where he looks like an ant on a piece of bread?

Is the poor bloke then forced into an extortionate bidding war with rival beach videographers for half-decent footage, if theyve got it? Or take your chances, send in your cheap ass iPhone vid and hope it gets viewed favourably against John Johns HD, technicolour, close-up screamer dreamer?

Shit outta luck if you dont have the tech or mates who have the tech.

This is moving forward, and aligning with the fans.

And, what about the judging system? Four in number. Three official WSL judges and one wild, exciting, new type of judge thrown into the mix. What could it be, I hear you wonder?

No more suspense. One of the official judges is the online punter, you, me, and every other digital fan.

How cool, eh? Now we get to make or break a surfers livelihood just by pushing buttons on our phones.

Inclusivity at its best from Vans and the Wozzle.

Alas, Im confounded again, however.

If the fans vote, is this just going to be a sad, pathetic numbers game of Im more popular than you are na na na na na naaaa? For example, JJF has 1.4 million Instagram followers. If he gets 10% of his fans to tap the app and clap clap clap for JJF. Plus five 5% on top of that for non John-fans. 210,000 votes.

On the other hand, Callum Robson, currently #12 in the Challenger Series rankings, only has 7,250 Insta followers. Just for the fuck of it, lets go all in and say he magically gets 100% of his followers to vote for him and they all get a mate each to do the same (wishful thinking but indulge me). 14,500 votes.

Who the fuck gets the choccies there? Confused much?

Not content with reducing one of surfings most esteemed prizes to a TikTok circle jerk, theres an extra layer of incomprehensible doolally with the inclusion of a progressive craft element.

Yep, one of a surfers six vids has to be on a progressive craft. Slight problem though. According to their own rules published on their website, the progressive craft must be a craft (their terminology, not mine) thats not quite as progressive as what the current kids ride.

In fact, some of the progressive crafts recommended are over 100 years old. No fucking shit.

I bring to you our progressive craft suggestion list, as per the contest guidelines:

alaiasasymmetricalstwin finsfishsingle finseggslongboardsbonzers

Fuck me, where do I kick off on this? The alaia, 100s of years old, if not a thousand. Longboards? Close to 100 years now. Twinnies? MR won titles on em in the 70s. Bonzers? Campbell Brothers, 1970. You get the drift.

Surely it cant be just me to wonder how the fuck riding a board from 100 years ago can be called a progressive craft? And why the fuck is it a compulsory component in the Triple Crown of Surfing?

Can they be any more ludicrously pretentious?

High-performance surfing has progressed beyond all of the progressive crafts listed to the toothpicks we have today. Granted, toothpicks are not for everyone, but the pros are riding the most progressive craft every fucking day. And, doing shit on them now that was pretty much impossible on any of the craft listed above.

Theres a reason theyre riding what theyre riding. Its cause theyre the most progressive boards available.

Do they even know what progressive means? A five-second search on the Googlenet shows its favouring progress and improvement as opposed to maintaining the status quo.

Newsflash: High-performance surfers progressed beyond logs half a century ago. Fuck me.

Who comes up with this shit? And who rubber stamps it?

The WSL, thats who. Remember, This competition is sanctioned by the WSL.

You reckon other sports are looking on enviously at the WSL, wondering how they can copy such genius?

Maybe right about now the bigwigs of Formula 1 admin are telling drivers like Lewis Hamilton they can only win the F1 title this year if theyve driven a progressive mobile like, say, the Reliant Regal three-wheeler during one of the remaining Grand Prix races?

Or the Tour de France organisers sending out a memo telling riders they must complete a stage in The Pyrenees on a penny fucking farthing?

You cant script this etc,

Link:
Testosterone-squirting big-wave surf icon lambasts Hawaiian contest organisers for calling off prized Triple Crown event in building swell, If you...

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Express News Service

BENGALURU:Testicles are an important part of the male reproductive system and are located inside a sac called the scrotum. They make the hormones such as testosterone and sperms fertilise a female egg cell to start a pregnancy.It starts in the cells of the testicles (testes). The most common (more than 90 per cent) type of testicular cancer is called germ cell tumour.

Testicular cancer inyoung adults

Although testicular cancer can occur at any age, it is more prevalent in young adult men (especially between ages 18 to 35 years) and constitutesless than one per cent of all adult cancers. Testicular cancer is not talked about as it is not very common. In India, it constitutes 0.3 per cent ofall cancers and ranks 31 among all cancers.

Watch out for

Risk Factors

There are not many known risk factors leading to testicular cancer. Some risk factors include the history of undescended testis at birth, abnormal testicle development, family history of testicular cancer, and some rare inherited diseases. Prior injury to the testicles, though blamed many times, is not a proven risk factor.

Diagnosis

Sometimes, testicular cancer is self-detected by men either unintentionally or through testicular self-examination. In other cases, it is usually detected by your doctor during a routine physical exam. Testicular cancer typically presents in young males with a lump or swelling in the testicles. To confirm if the lump is testicular cancer, your doctor may order a testicular ultrasound test, and certain blood tests to detect the presence and levels of tumour markers in your blood. Checking blood for tumour markers like alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), beta HCG and LDH help in the diagnosis and staging.

Medical Treatment

The treatment of testicular cancers involves surgery and removal of the affected testis. If the lump on your testicle is diagnosed to be cancerous, a surgery called radical inguinal orchiectomy may be performed to remove the cancer affected testicle. In some cases, nearby lymph nodes are also removed using a procedure called retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. Alternative treatments such as radiation therapy, or chemotherapy may be recommended before or after surgery. The cure rates after appropriate treatment in testicular cancers are very good.

Usually, testicular cancer affects one testicle, and the other testicle can produce enough male hormone, testosterone, for a future normal healthy life. But in some patients, infertility can be a side effect due to cancer or its treatment, and this should always be discussed while planning treatment.

Importance ofself-examination

It is not clear if testicular cancer is preventable. However, it can be detected in its early stages by doing regular testicle self-examinations. You can discuss with your doctor how testicular self-examination is performed. It is a simple and painless test and takes just a minute.

Doing the testicular self-examination in front of the mirror may be helpful. Since testicular cancer is relatively rare, in case you find a lump, dont panic. Consult your doctor for a prompt diagnosis.

(The writer is HOD and consultant - medical oncology, Manipal Hospital Old Airport Road)

Continued here:
All about testicular cancer - The New Indian Express

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Before writing for the Strategist, Jenna Milliner-Waddell covered home dcor for Forbes Finds. Now she finds the best-rated products you didnt know you needed, from placemats to puzzles.

Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photo: Retailer

In 2015, My Big Fat Fabulous Life premiered on TLC. The show follows Whitney Thore, a woman struggling with the symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS. Watching it was my first time learning about the medical condition, but since then PCOS has become a greater part of the womens-health discourse, with celebrities including Keke Palmer and Lea Michele coming out to talk about their diagnoses. Shows like My Big Fat Fabulous Life might lead you to believe that the main symptom, or even cause, of PCOS is weight gain, but there are a host of other effects.

PCOS is characterized by higher-than-normal levels of the pituitary hormone, the luteinizing hormone, or androgens like testosterone, which disrupts the hormonal pathway that regulates the menstrual cycle; the most common symptoms are irregular or missed periods, saysDevon Klauck, the lead nurse practitioner at Tia.In addition to unwanted weighted gain or difficulty losing weight because of metabolic complications, PCOS can have an impact on fertility and cause hirsutism (unwanted hair growth), hair loss, or acne.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for PCOS, but you can manage the symptoms. Your first step is consulting a health-care professional. We talked to Klauck and five others about their top over-the-counter solutions. Most of their recommendations are vitamins from doctor-recommended brands that are safe for anyone to take, but before you spend the money, ask your doctor to test for deficiencies so you dont overly or improperly supplement. Your doctor may also recommend diet and lifestyle changes, such as reducing sugar intake, exercise, and proper sleep.

Many people with PCOS are insulin resistant, meaning their bodies make insulin but cant use it effectively. Normally, when the food you eat breaks down into glucose, your pancreas releases an amount of insulin that enables your cells to absorb the glucose. But when you have PCOS, theres just a big surge of insulin that gets secreted like a tsunami, says Angela Grassi, a member of PCOS Challenge: The National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Associations health advisory board and the founder of PCOS Nutrition Center. Inositols can help. Sugars Myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol have been tested in PCOS to help with insulin signaling,improve egg quality, and promote ovulation. Three of the experts we spoke to sang the praises of inositols, and two mentioned Ovasitol by name. It has the right 40:1 ratio of Myo-inositol to D-chiro-inositol, which endocrinologist Dr. Ana Kausel says is important, especially when shopping in America, where supplements are not regulated. There was a study that compared 40 Different inositol preparations, and only like 1 percent had what is actually beneficial, she says. Ovasitols ratio is clearly stated on the packaging, and Grassi has seen how well it works in her patients. I would say 90 percent of my patients get their menstrual cycle regulated within three months, she says. Grassi, who has PCOS herself, says Ovasitol also helped get her A1C levels down. A1C is the average blood glucose for three months, which can be higher when one of your PCOS symptoms is insulin resistance. When I was diagnosed with PCOS, my A1C was around 5.6, Grassi says. When you get over 5.7, thats considereda pre-diabetes range. When I took Metformin, which is a common [prescription] medication used in the PCOS population to produce glucose and insulin,it only reduced my A1C to 5.4.I started researching inositol to see if its really as good as it sounds, and I tried it for myself, and three months later, my A1C went down to 5.1 and then three months after that, it went down to 4.9.

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Vitamins were also very popular among our experts, with vitamin D being the most frequently recommended. One study indicated that calcium and vitamin D were helpful for PCOS by assisting with weight loss and regulating menstrual cycles, says Dr. Amy Roskin, chief medical director of The Pill Club. Other recent evidence shows that women with PCOS may be vitamin-D deficient, which can lead to additional problems with fertility, so those supplements may be particularly useful to help the condition. Dr. Kausel also recommends vitamin-D supplements to her patients. She says it can help with insulin resistance and therefore with regulating the menstrual cycles. Grassi agrees and usually recommends anywhere between 2,000 and 4,000 international units, to be taken with fat as vitamin D is fat soluble. She adds that vitamins K1 and K2 help vitamin D absorb better, so her company created a liquid supplement that has all three ingredients in it.

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Zinc is another popular supplement among our experts, as it inhibits testosterone from converting to its active form, says Grassi, which means its a great option for people experiencing PCOS-related acne or hirsutism.

Dr. Roskin says people with PCOS are 19 times more likely to be deficient in magnesium. She and Klauck also said magnesium supplementation can improve insulin resistance.

Berberine is an herbal supplement thats pretty potent, says Grassi. It has been compared to Metformin for its ability to lower glucose and insulin. And its good for fatty liver and cholesterol.Klauck also says it can promote ovulation and reduce testosterone production.

Photo: The Strategist; Photo: Retailer

An awful lot of women who take Metformin or oral contraceptives have lower levels of vitamin B12, says Grassi, so she normally recommends a supplement to those patients after checking their levels. Everyone needs sufficient B12 in their system. Its essential for energy production and neuropulsatility, which plainly means if you get a deficiency in B12, it can cause permanent nerve damage. It can also cause mood shifts and fatigue.

Male-pattern baldness is one of the side effects of PCOS. Klauckrecommends massaging rosemary oil into the scalp to stimulate hair growth by reducing the androgen effect on hair follicles.

Bailey Haddad is the founder of She Syncs, which helps people balance hormones and heal PCOS. She has PCOS herself and describes acne as one of the symptoms she struggled with the most. It was very painful, physically and emotionally, she says. It really impacted my self esteem, my confidence. At one point, I wouldnt even come out of my room without a full face of makeup on, so Im passionate about helping people with acne. One thing that worked for her and she recommends to others is spearmint tea. Theres research that suggests that drinking a cup of spearmint tea twice a day can help reduce androgen levels like testosterone, reduce skin inflammation, and reduce the severity of acne. Haddad says. Similarly, Klauck recommended peppermint herbal tea. The main difference between the two are the menthol levels, so if you prefer a stronger tea, peppermint might be easier to knock back twice a day.

We have lots of different guides to getting rid of acne and healing scars, but something that Haddad likes to do is double cleanse with Marie Veronique products at night to ensure her skin is free of bacteria before sleeping: I start with a pump of the Pure + E.O Free Oil Cleanser. I massage this on my face for one to two minutes. I place a small microfiber cloth under warm or hot water, then gently press the cloth on my face for 15 to 20 seconds, wipe the skin to remove any remaining residue, then cleanse with its Gentle Gel Cleanser.

At the Strategist, we are fans of daily sunscreen use for a number of reasons. Haddad recommends it because UV damage can actually make acne worse. It took me a while to find a non-comedogenic sunscreen that didnt clog pores and contribute to breakouts, she says, but she finally came across this one by Supergoop!, a daily moisturizer with 40 SPF that she describes as non-greasy and very moisturizing.

Pillowcases are notorious for holding onto dirt, oil, and bacteria, which can clog pores and contribute to acne, says Haddad. To combat this, she likes to change her pillowcase as often as possible. She likes using a silk one, as its gentler on the skin. Weve also been told by dermatologists that they help reduce hair frizz and skin irritation. This particular one from Slip has many fans, including celebrities like Kristen Bell and Kourtney Kardashian.

Unwanted hair growth is just as prevalent as unwanted hair loss in the PCOS community. Haddad knows that hormonal hair growth is harder to treat, which is why she recommends laser hair removal to her She Syncs clients. Its something shes done regularly for herself. Youll likely get the best results at a salon, after consulting with a derm of course, but this at-home device has been recommended to us by professionals who say its safe to use on fair skin with caution.

If youre trying to get pregnant, Dr. Amy Divaraniya, CEO of Oova, recommends Thornes Fertility Test, an at-home blood-and-saliva test that analyzes your fertility. This will provide a snapshot measurement of a womans reproductive-hormone levels and evaluate her thyroid function and stress responses, Dr. Divaraniya says. This information could be very useful for those diagnosed with PCOS, as thyroid issues are common for these women. Along with your results, Thorne will provide a personalized treatment plan to improve your fertility health.

Dr. Divaraniya says tracking your period in an app like Clue can also be helpful. It will allow women to start listening to their bodies and notice slight changes that occur at various points in their cycle, she says. If you are using any of the above supplements or prescription medications, you will also be able to track how they are working as your cycle becomes more regular.

Of course, as the CEO, Dr. Divaraniya also recommends Oova, a tool that can help those with PCOS detect and confirm ovulation as well as their most fertile window. Its an at-home urine test that, unlike most, you dont have to send back to a lab. Simply scan a QR code with an app on your phone to receive your results and an action plan instantly. Oova works by measuring luteinizing hormone and progesterone. For someone who has PCOS, and an irregular cycle as a result, hormonal testing can be helpful in determining ovulation windows when its otherwise hard to tell when youre ovulating or if youre ovulating at all, says Dr. Roskin. Oova learns each users hormone baseline so that when theres a deviation from that baseline, the device can tell where the user is in their cycle (no matter if theyre menstruating regularly or not). This type of measurement is ideal for women with PCOS, as they often have hormone imbalances that render traditional ovulation tests inaccurate. The Oova can also alert the user if theyre not ovulating at all.

As previously mentioned, lifestyle changes are incredibly important when it comes to PCOS treatment. Klauck recommends an anti-inflammatory diet, rich in protein, fiber, and soy, as well as moderate exercise. She also reminds us how important prioritizing sleep is. Consistent, good-quality sleep is beneficial in maintaining a healthy weight, balancing mood, and reducing risk of developing diabetes or cardiovascular disease, she says. Lack of sleep can also impact your hunger home hormones and make you feel hungrier and it can impact your immune system, Haddad continues, noting that sleep deprivation can lower your moods, and that less sleep can also trigger a release of testosterone and cortisol, which can make people feel irritable, aggressive, and angry. Thus getting a good nights sleep is helpful not only for symptom managementbut your overall mental health.

If youre having trouble sleeping, Haddad recommends a topical magnesium.Magnesium absorbs into the skin quickly and helps with muscle relaxation, she says. This magnesium-oil spray is a highly concentrated solution of magnesium chloride and water, which she sprays on my legs and feet, basically the lower half of my body, ten to 15 minutes before I go to bed, and it really helps release tense muscles and gives me an overall sense of relaxation.

Wearing a sleep mask at night helps her as well. Sleep masks can help people fall asleep faster, improve sleep quality, and increase overall relaxation, she says. To those shopping for one, she recommends finding something that actually blocks out the light and fits your face. For her, its this Lunya mask, which is padded and covers much more than just the eyes, ensuring no light creeps in. Its made from machine-washable silk, which she appreciates for beingantibacterial, lightweight, and gentle on the skin.

Another favorite sleep aid of Haddads (and ours) is this classic white-noise machine. I actually travel with it, says Haddad. It drowns out external noise and gives an overall sense of calm.

Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts.

The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.

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The Best Over-the-Counter Supplements for PCOS Symptoms, According to Experts - New York Magazine

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Dr Edwin Ong, DTAP Clinic

Infertility is suspected when a couple is unable to successfully conceive after approximately 1 year of unprotected sexual intercourse. While there are many causes of infertility in both genders, over a third of them stem from the male, primarily due to problems with sperm production or delivery.

In no particular order, here are the top 5 causes of male infertility:

A healthy amount of good quality sperm is necessary in order to have the best chance of conceiving. Disorders may include:

Oligospermia: Low sperm count, defined as fewer than 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen. A low sperm count drastically reduces the odds of the sperm fertilising your partners egg.

Azoospermia: No measurable amount of sperm is present in the semen to fertilise your partners egg, making natural conception impossible.

Poor motility: A large proportion of sperm are unable to swim properly or are not motile at all, increasing the risk that the sperm may not be able to reach and penetrate your partners egg.

Abnormal morphology: Sperm are immature or abnormally shaped, and may not live long enough to fertilise the egg.

Factors that can affect the health of sperm include:

Environmental and lifestyle factors: Smoking, excessive alcohol intake, illicit drugs or steroid use, or exposure to toxins can affect the health of your sperm.

Hormonal factors: Diseases of the pituitary gland or testosterone deficiency can affect sperm production.

Testicular infection: Especially from the mumps virus or tuberculosis (TB) during childhood.

Chronic diseases: Diseases such as kidney failure can also affect the production of sperm.

Genetic diseases: Such as cystic fibrosis or hemochromatosis which can affect sperm production or transport.

Erectile dysfunction, better known as ED, is an inability to obtain or maintain a good erection. While ED is a fairly common problem that can happen to men at any age, it is more common from middle age onwards. ED can stem from:

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Hypertension

Diabetes

Atherosclerosis (restricted blood flow due to plaque buildup)

Hormonal or pituitary gland issues

Phimosis (tight foreskin)

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) - abnormal prostate enlargement

Lifestyle factors such as smoking, heavy alcohol and/or drug use

Stress or mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety

Side effects of certain medications to treat hypertension or hair loss

Varicocele is the enlargement of veins in the testicles, caused by abnormal backflow of blood. Exactly how this condition can cause infertility is unknown, but studies suggest that it could be related to warmer temperatures from the increased blood flow, which may be suboptimal for sperm production. Approximately 16% of men may have a varicocele.

This condition occurs when the semen enters the bladder instead of emerging through the penis during orgasm due to the muscles of the bladder neck not tightening properly. This can happen due to previous surgery, certain medications, or nerve damage caused by medical conditions. Men with this condition may experience dry orgasms whereby very little or no semen is ejaculated from the penis. Urine may also appear cloudy after an orgasm.

STDs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), if left untreated for a prolonged period of time, can lead to the inflammation of the epididymis or testicles, interfering with sperm production and health.

Chronic inflammation to these structures may lead to permanent scarring that blocks the passage of the sperm.

A semen analysis test would be required from the patient in order to assess fertility. Several parameters are analysed including semen volume, pH count, sperm count, motility, and morphology. The sample can also be screened for problems such as infections.

As sperm counts often fluctuate from one sample to the next, several samples may need to be collected over a period of time to ensure a higher degree of accuracy when processing the results.

Follow up tests may include the following to determine and confirm the cause:

Ultrasound scan of the testicles: To look for presence of varicoceles or other issues in the testicles and surrounding structures.

Ultrasound scan of the seminal vesicles: To analyse the ejaculatory ducts and seminal vesicles to see if they are poorly formed or blocked.

Post-ejaculatory urine test: To look for any sperm present in the urine after ejaculation to suggest retrograde ejaculation.

Testicular biopsy: Minimally invasive procedure where a small piece of tissue is removed from the testicle and observed under the microscope. This test helps to both assess the cause of infertility as well as retrieve any viable sperm for later use in assisted reproduction.

Hormonal profile: Blood test to measure testosterone levels and other related hormones essential to sperm production.

STD screen: To check for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and other infections that may affect sperm production.

Treatment options will vary according to the cause of infertility (if any is found), and may include:

Lifestyle modification: Cessation of smoking, reducing alcohol intake, increasing exercise and having a balanced diet.

Supplements: Male fertility supplements that contain a blend of micronutrients and enzymes to support healthy sperm production

Treatment of any underlying STD; however, this may not fully restore fertility.

Hormonal medications: Required in cases where infertility is caused by too much or too little of a specific hormone.

Surgery for conditions such as:VaricocelesEjaculatory duct obstructionObstructed vas deferensPrior vasectomyNon-obstructive azoospermia

Treatment for sexual dysfunction: Medication or counselling may help to improve chances of conceiving in conditions such as ED or premature ejaculation.

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART): Sperm is obtained through normal ejaculation, surgical extraction, or from donors. The sperm is then used in ART procedures such as in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

About Dr Edwin OngDr Edwin Ong underwent extensive training across various specialties including Orthopaedic Surgery, General Medicine, General Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery and Plastic Surgery. He focuses on comprehensive and holistic care for Mens health, Womens health and other Acute & Chronic medical issues including Viscosupplementation Treatment for Knee Arthritis. He firmly believes in honest communication and works closely with his patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.

About DTAPEstablished in 2005, DTAP (Dr. Tan & Partners) clinics, a pioneer of the GP plus, or General Practice with Special Interest model in Singapore, provides holistic and comprehensive medical care for everyone. We provide basic GP services with a key focus in HIV & STD testing and management, Mens Health (Andrology), Womens Health, Aesthetics, and Chronic Disease Management services. DTAP clinics are located in Singapore and Malaysia, and DTAP Express is the first clinic in Singapore with express self-testing kits for STD. DTAP to Home is an extension of DTAP Teleconsult and DTAP Delivery for medications, supplements and health aid services.

Originally posted here:
5 causes of male infertility - Yahoo News

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What you eat for breakfast actually can play a huge role in looking your best and trying to lose weightespecially after 40. Unfortunately, following a few unhealthy breakfast patterns can reverse any efforts you make to try and slim down. Luckily, we asked experts to list out some of those bad breakfast habits you need to break if you are over 40 and want to lose some weightand what to focus on instead.

Once you break these habits, you still need to replace them with healthier, wholesome breakfast patterns. If you need to overhaul what your breakfast looks like, you don't want to miss these 30 Nutritionist-Approved Healthy Breakfast Ideas that will keep you full and satisfied.

Anyone who has to hit the ground running when they wake up might have gotten away with skipping breakfast when they were younger. But don't expect to lose pounds by forgoing this meal.

"Skipping breakfast is one of the worst habits I see in adults over 40," says Catherine Johnston, RD. "Life gets busy, and other priorities get in the way of self-care. Instead of skipping breakfast altogether, find a simple, nutritious breakfast option that you can automate into your morning routine. For examplea bowl of whole-grain cereals with a handful of berries and slivered almonds, a bowl of oatmeal with raisins and walnuts, or a quick smoothie."

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Some might assume you can replace our breakfast with a cup of coffee. While this habit can get your morning started a bit faster, don't assume it does any favors for your weight-loss journey.

"I always tell clients 'coffee is not a meal,'" says Johnston. "Coffee can suppress hunger cues, but often the lack of energy (calorie) intake shows up later in the form of an afternoon slump or evening sugar cravings. Make your coffee an iced coffee smoothie by blending coffee ice cubes with oats, a frozen banana, avocado, and milk to make a delicious coffee breakfast smoothie!"

In certain parts of the world, eating a biscuit with coffee in the morning can be a tradition. But not paying attention to the number of biscuits could be causing issues with your weight loss efforts after 40.

"Usually, at breakfast, we take two to four biscuits with tea or coffee," says Shannon Henry, RD at EZCare Clinic. "But, did you know that a high-fiber or digestible biscuit contains 30 to 40 calories? Here, you can envision how many calories are in a chocolate cream biscuit or cookie. Instead, all kinds of cookies, biscuits, rusks, are made with baking powder, sugar, and salt."

"We often had tea or coffee snacks and ended up eating a lot of biscuits in 5 minutes," says Henry. "The resultwe consume a lot of calories, which does not help us to lose weight. Instead of having these 'empty calories' (nutrition and calorie-free foods only), it is healthier to eat almonds, roasted soybeans, and puffed brown rice snacks with your breakfast coffee/tea."

"After the age of 40, people especially postmenopausal women lose muscle naturally," says Henry. "As muscle burns more calories than fat, it slows down your metabolism and makes it harder to lose those contrary pounds. Without a healthy balance of protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats, eating sugary refined carbohydrates such as breakfast pastries can raise your blood sugar level, leading to a crash. In addition, it slows down your metabolism and does not help you lose weight."

"Eat a high-protein breakfast to boost your morning energy," she continues. "Protein is a key nutrient for weight loss. In fact, adding more protein to your diet is one of the easiest and most effective ways to lose weight. Studies show that protein can help control your appetite and prevent overeating. Therefore, starting your day with a high-protein breakfast is an effective way to lose weight. It may include eggs, Greek yogurt, nut butter, and cottage cheese."

You have heard about the benefits of drinking water before, but if you don't start your day with enough hydration, you might have a harder time dropping the pounds.

"Dehydration eliminates the signs of thirst and instead sends out signals of hunger, which allows you to overeat," says Henry. "When your body is dehydrated the energy goes down and you feel tired. To refill that energy, you eat more and this eventually leads to weight gain."

In particular, Henry notes that drinking water in the morning can with weight loss.

"Water consumption increases the rate of metabolism so that the body can burn more calories," she says. "Drink at least 650 milliliters (around 3 cups) of water as soon as you wake up. Increase your patience to drink so much water every day! Do not take breakfast or lunch for at least 45 minutes after drinking water."

Not drinking enough water can lead to some other very serious effects. Make sure to check out What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Drinking Water for a full run-down of this bad habit.

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The Worst Breakfast Habits for Weight Loss Over 40, Say Dietitians Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

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The new study was published in the journalMedicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. It was the work of researchers associated with institutions in Italy and Texas.

The study was an extension of a previous study that looked at the effects of time-restricted eating (TRE) on participants who did regular resistance training. After the conclusion of the initial 8-week study the researchers asked for volunteers to continue the protocol for an additional 10 months. The researchers ended up with two groups of 10 participants, and in the end collected data from 19 subjects.

The subjects were young males (average age, 28) who had been lifting weights for at least 5 years prior to the study, which began in 2014. The subjects weighed an average of 185 lbs going in and had average body fat percentages of about 14%.

The subjects consumed about 2,900 calories of food a day, with 53% as carbohydrates, 25% as fat and 22% as protein. The normal diet (ND) group took its meals at 8 am, 1pm and 8 pm, whereas the TRE group packed food intake into an 8 hour period, with meals at 1 pm, 4pm and 8 pm. That group fasted for the remaining 16 hours.

The TRE group at 40% of its calories at breakfast, 25% at the second meal and 35% for dinner. The breakdown for the ND group was 25%, 40% and 35%.

The participants continued their accustomed weight training schedules. Those protocols were set during the initial 8-week study and were continued unsupervised during the 10-month follow up period, with the researchers relying on the high experience of the participants. All training sessions were conducted between 4pm and 6pm to fall within the feeding window of both groups.

The participants were assessed at baseline, again at 2 months and then had a final visit with the researchers at the end of the 12-month study. The participants maintained food diaries to judge compliance with the feeding protocol.

In addition to taking biometric readings, the researchers also performed blood analyses. They measured Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), testosterone, leptin, adiponectin and blood glucose. They also assessed total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and TG concentration.

The researchers found that the long term TRE group naturally started to eat less that did the ND group. Over the course of the year they ate on average about 6.4% fewer calories. This led to a natural weight loss of about 3.6% in the TRE group compared to baseline and cut their fat mass by more than 11%. The ND group, on the other hand, gained weight during the year, adding a bit less than 3% body mass.

The TRE group showed improvements in cholesterol and insulin resistance, and a decrease of inflammatory markers.

But the TRE group also showed a significant drop in free testosterone levels, which dipped by almost 17% during the course of the trial. There was no change in testosterone in the ND group. The TRE group lost muscle mass during the course of the study, though, interestingly those subjects did not lose strength.

Antonio Paoli, MD, who led the study, said the takeaway is that while TRE can provide some benefits, beware of some of the promises you might find on social media for the approach.

These findings demonstrated that well-trained resistance exercisers who adhere to a fasting protocol for a long period of time can obtain beneficial effects on health biomarkers and inflammatory indices. Moreover, the long-term time-restricted eating approach spontaneously reduced the total caloric intake, driving a healthy weight loss. However, long-term, time-restricted eating negatively affected muscle mass due to the significant negative impact reported on anabolic hormones in this population, he said.

Our study provides new insight into the management of meal frequency and meal timing for people expert in resistance training activities. The main take-home message is that there are pros and cons to prolonged time-restricted eating. Although time-restricted eating may produce some physiological advantages, it is not a miracle as often suggested in social media posts, Dr Paoli concluded.

Source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

December 2021 - Volume 53 - Issue 12 - p 2577-2585Twelve Months of Time-restricted Eating and Resistance Training Improves Inflammatory Markers and Cardiometabolic Risk FactorsAuthors: Moro T, et al.

Time restricted eating, ketogenic diets and other feeding strategies will be among the topics covered in NutraIngredients-USA's Sports & Active Nutrition Summit USA, which returns in 2022 as an in-person event. The venue is the Hyatt Regency Hotel on San Diego's beautiful Mission Bay. The event, which is being produced in cooperation with the American Herbal Products Association's Sports Nutrition Committee, will take place on Feb. 14, 15 and 16. To sign up for an EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT visit theevent homepage.

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Time restricted eating over year-long study helped subjects cut fat, but they lost muscle, too - NutraIngredients-usa.com

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Certain diets emphasize macronutrientshigh-carb diets, low-carb diets, low-fat diets, high-fat diets, etc. For example, in the 1980s low-fat diets were all the rage, and as a result, all sorts of packaged low-fat cakes, cookies, and snack bars took over grocery store shelves like wildfire. However, while the original premise of the diet was that eating less fat would help people lose fat, it became evident that many of the processed and packaged foods we eat were still contributing to weight gain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and overall disease risk.

As a result, nutrition and wellness experts started encouraging people to focus less on specific macronutrients and rather on overall diet quality with the aim of consuming fewer processed foods. Thus, diets such as the paleo diet emerged. The paleo diet, which focuses on eating whole, natural foods much like cavemen or our early human ancestors did, has been a popular diet for nearly the past two decades. Its fairly simple in concept, yet following it can be difficult as it is rather restrictive and certainly bucks up against the processed food trends of our food industry.

That said, there are potential health benefits to the paleo diet, and many people who adopt the diet end up sticking with it. If youre unfamiliar with the paleo diet or have only heard bits and pieces from your friends who do CrossFit, keep reading for our full guide on the paleo diet. Youll learn everything you need to know about whether the paleo diet may be an eating pattern that youd like to try.

The paleo diet is designed to replicate the eating patterns of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle of our early human ancestors. The diet encourages the intake of vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, poultry, fruit, nuts, seeds, and other whole foods while prohibiting the consumption of all processed foods and artificial sweeteners. It also prohibits dairy, legumes, and grainseven if they are unprocessed. However, there are a few variations of the paleo diet with different modifications that are slightly less restrictive. For example, some modifications do permit grass-fed butter or soaked and sprouted grains and legumes.

While the beginnings of the paleo diet were spawned in the 1970s, it wasnt until Loren Cordain published a book on the paleo diet in 2002 that the paleo diet gained significant traction. Soon, it took over in the CrossFit sphere and among athletes and wellness fans.

The impetus behind the paleo diet was to return to the more healthy, wholesome way of eating practiced by our hunter-gatherer ancestors, as there were fewer lifestyle diseases (diabetes, heart disease, cancer, obesity, etc.) back then. The paleo diet can potentially reduce the risk of these diseases. It can also help people lose weight, provided a caloric deficit is maintained. In fact, many people do find it possible to lose a significant amount of weightespecially initiallyafter adopting the paleo diet, largely because the foods tend to be filling and there are so many restrictions.

The paleo diet stresses unprocessed foods available back in the days of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. The following foods groups are permitted on the paleo diet:

The crux of the paleo diet lies in avoiding anything refined or processed, but other major food groups are also excluded. As such, some people find the paleo diet to be overly restrictive, and there is some concern about meeting certain nutrient needs based on the exclusions. The paleo diet prohibits the following:

Curious what a day of eating might look like on the paleo diet? Below, we share a sample paleo meal plan:

See more here:
The Beginners Guide to the Paleo Diet - The Manual

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IF you're struggling to lose weight, it may be your breakfast choice that is holding you back.

Of the dozens of options, experts say there are some that will set you up for failure from the start of the day.

1

If youre feeling hungry within a couple of hours of eating, bloated or fatigued, it may be time to switch up your first meal of the day.

Even if you cant bear to part from your favourite breakfast, some small tweaks could make all the difference.

And if you have a tendency to skip breakfast, it's not the end of the world, experts say, as long as you don't wait till you're ravenous and then overeat.

The following blunders could be avoided:

Croissants, cereals and baked goods may taste delicious, but will do nothing for your waistline.

Thats because they are relatively high in sugar.

Rob Hobson, a London-based nutritionist and head of Healthspan, said: If you eat too much sugar you obviously increase your risk of putting on weight and you could end up with sugar highs and lows.

If you have a sugar spike followed by a sugar low, you might look around for sugary foods to bring you back up again.

He said there are a lot of hidden sugars in cereals that people are not aware of, but reading nutritional labels will spot the worst offenders.

Dietician Dr Carrie Ruxton added: Many sugary, low fibre breakfast cereals just take the edge off your appetite, leaving you hunting for snacks a couple of hours later.

Dr Mayur Ranchordas, an exercise physiologist and sport nutritionist at Sheffield Hallam, said its important to watch how calories can add up at breakfast.

He told The Sun: If you had a full-fat latte or cappuccino with a muffin, you might think I only had a coffee and muffin for breakfast.

But thats loads of calories, and no nutritional value.

Thats 700-800 calories at breakfast. If you then get a chicken and bacon sandwich at lunch, you could exceed your daily calorie intake before dinner.

Dr Mayur said the same goes for if you had a healthier option, such as a slice of wholemeal toast, poached eggs, smoked salmon and avocado.

Although it has more nutritional value, the calories can add up quickly, so watch portion sizes.

The key to a healthy breakfast is making sure it has a little of everything - protein, fats and carbohydrates.

These are the three main food groups and each is needed in the diet.

Many breakfasts fail to include all three, which can lead to hunger or cravings within a couple of hours.

And most of the time, breakfast contains more carbs than you are likely to burn off before lunch time, said Dr Mayur.

Dr Mayur said: Dont just think about the calories, but the quality of the food.

The general rule of thumb for athletes is - does it provide you with healthy fats, good protein, minerals and vitamins, and moderate carbs?

If the answer is yes, 9/10 it's probably a healthy meal.

But if you have a bowl of bran flakes with milk and orange juice, there is very little protein in that meal so chances are you will get hungry again.

So what SHOULD you eat for breakfast?

Yoghurt with whole fruit and low fat granola

Dr Carrie said: A new report from Petits Filous reveals that eating dairy foods is linked with better weight management so try fromage frais with a sprinkling of oats for a healthy high protein breakfast.

"Protein works by making us feel fuller for longer.

Rob added: "I might go for something like yoghurt topped with fruit and a sugar free gronola - that has protein, good fibre and carbs.

"Fruit yoghurts have a lot of sugar in - up to the same amount of a chocolate bar - so go for natural or Greek yoghurt."

A breakfast smoothie

This is a good one for on the go, Rob said, suggesting fruit, milk, dark green veg and oats.

Rob said: Fruit is not that high in calories. I don't like anything that deters people from fruit and veg.

If you eat them whole, you get the benefit of the fibre rather than extracting the juice.

Omelette and black coffee

Dr Mayurs choice of breakfast would be an omelette with a black coffee, and a snack of nuts and a piece of fruit if you are hungry later.

Thats around 450 calories by lunch time, he said.

Bacon, sausages, eggs and more are divine on a hangover.

But keep it as a treat, as Rob said: A greasy fry up is full of saturated fat, loads of calories and makes you feel sluggish.

Smaller amounts are okay. But there are lots of links with processed meat and bowel cancer.

Bacon and sausages, for example, are also full of salt which is no good for blood pressure.

If you must have something resembling a fry up, try something like poached eggs with grilled halloumi, Rob said.

The modern person is likely to be eating their breakfast while rushing into work or sitting at their desk.

Rob said: There is a chance youll overeat if you are not focusing on your food, and if youre rushing around, youre at risk of indigestion.

He added: I think its good to sit down to eat and be more mindful.

If you don't have time in the morning, go to the break out room to have breakfast. We all have ten minutes or so to sit down.

Should you eat in the morning or skip breakfast? Experts are split.

Dr Carrie said: Starting the day with the wrong breakfast or none at all will do nothing for your weight loss goals.

Breakfast sets you up for good habits and keeps morning snacking at bay.

Dr Ruxton said if you cant face anything in the morning, you may be eating too late the night before.

However, Rob Hobson pointed out that peoples eating patterns are all different and some may eat within a window of noon till 8pm.

He said: You have an amount of energy to eat in the day - it doesn't matter when you eat it, as long as you split it up.

But he said never to wait until you are ravenous because it could lead you to reaching for something unhealthy.

Meanwhile, Dr Mayur said he disagrees with the notion that breakfast is the most important meal of the day because there isnt enough science to back it up.

He said: Most people are quite overweight and have a high fasting blood glucose level. Skipping breakfast might be healthy for those people.

If you eat your last meal at 7pm - and it's rice, carbs , pasta - then go to sleep at 11pm, then dont eat till lunch time, youve fasted for 16 hours.

Thats quite good for you, as you are controlling insulin and blood sugar levels.

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Weight loss: The 6 mistakes you make at breakfast thats sabotaging your goals... - The Sun

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In today's time, most people are worried about their weight gain. People also go to the gym to lose weight. Many people then give up. But let us tell you that not eating does not lose weight, but it weakens your body. So today we're telling you about a home remedy that will reduce your weight in a few days.

Cucumber and lemon are helpful in weight loss. Consumption of cucumber does not increase fat in the body. It contains 96% water and fiber. Due to this, its intake reduces weight. Also lemon helps in reducing belly fat. If you regularly drink lemon juice in cucumber juice before going to bed at night, it makes it very easy for you to lose weight.

To make it, first, take the cucumber and cut it into small pieces and put it in a mixer. And add ginger mint to it and mix. Now take out the mixture in a glass and add a little sugar, lemon juice and roasted cumin seeds. If you consume a juice every night before going to bed, you will lose weight very quickly.

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This home remedy will reduce your weight fast - News Track English

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